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By Kenneth Armstrong
Khadijah Jones pumped in 18 points and keyed an 8-0 third quarter spurt that propelled Clarkton School of Discovery to a 25-21 Bladen Five Middle School Conference victory over visiting Elizabethtown Thursday.
The Lady Blue Devils trailed 14-13 at halftime, but Jones stole the ball 3 times and raced for lay-ups then drove the lane for another lay-up and a 21-14 Clarkton lead.
Jones stole the ball again and flipped in a runner to begin the fourth quarter. Elizabethtown’s Patience Ward interrupted the Clarkton run with a transition lay-up, but Jones turned another steal into a lay-up that stretched the lead to 25-16.
After Chasity Carter made a free throw for the Lady Cougars with 3:10 remaining, Ward drove for a lay-up and sank 2 free throws to close the gap to 25-21, but Clarkton held on for the victory.
Center Lorna Mendell dropped in a pair of first half baskets and finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds for the winners. Jones had 8 steals and 4 rebounds – six of those steals were quickly turned into baskets.
Ward drove for a trio of first quarter lay-ups and canned 2 free throws. Teammate Lavada Jackson put back a rebound as Elizabethtown built a 10-6 first period lead.
Ward sprinted to the basket for a pair of second-quarter lay-ups that stretched the Lady Cougar lead to 14-9. Another Jones steal resulted in a lay-up, and Clarkton’s Tara Rogers popped in a baseline jumper that trimmed the lead to 14-13 at halftime.
Ward led the Elizabethtown offense with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Teammate Shanell McMillian came up with 8 steals, and Jackson pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Carter grabbed 4 rebounds.
The Lady Blue Devils improved to 2-1 in the league, while Elizabethtown dropped to 1-2. The Lady Cougars travel to Tar Heel next Thursday.
E’twn (21) – Zion McKoy, Magdiel Gonzalez, Shanell McMillian, Shykia Rhodes, Lexus Smith, Patience Ward 18, Amyia Williams, Chasity Carter 1, Lavada Jackson 2, Cheylee Mathis, Tinyauh Rhoda.
CSD (25) – Lorna Mendell 4, Lauren Bowen, Katie Evans, Khadijah Jones 18, Tara Rogers 2, Lily Lin, Sara Gargala, Cybil Campbell, Abbie Cross 1, Jaya Howell, Gracyn Martin, Lila McDuffie, Izzy Smith.